She's Not There
by LOSTrocker
Summary: Post N2N. Presenting Mr. Goodman without his wife and he handles the every day.


**A/N:** I'm obsessed. There are you happy now people. I admit it. I love N2N. Can't get it out of my head to save my life. Okay, now thats over. This is post N2N so it takes years into the future. No Gabe. Sorry.

**She's Not There: **

By: LOSTrocker

Mr. Goodman reached over for his wife. When he got nothing but a handful blankets he sighed to himself. He forgot that she wasn't there anymore. Just then the alarm clock went off. He turned over and groaned. He it off by tossing it against the wall.

Silence.

This part of the day was always the hardest. He had a choice. He could either lay here or get up for another day. He did the later because there was nothing worse than staying alone in an empty home. It would drive him crazy. So, Mr. G pulled himself out of bed and did his daily routine. He took a shower, got dressed, and went downstairs to fix himself some breakfast and some much needed coffee.

There was never anything good in the paper anymore. Then again he learned that long ago. He swore it was getting worse than better. After finishing his breakfast and coffee he got up from the table tossed on his jacket and went to head out the door for work. He stopped when he caught himself in the mirror. His tie was crooked.

"Fuck." he cursed.

If it was one thing that he hated most in this world it was ties. They were a pain in the ass. He could never get them straight. The picture to his right got his attention. It was a picture of the day him and his wife got married. It was perfect. Not a cloud in the sky that day and the blue went on forever like he thought they would.

"You were always better at this," he said to his wife.

She had been bright and beautiful once but time was a funny thing. It could do damage to a body. Then again she was all ready messed up. No matter how many times he tried to fix it or pretended like everything was well normal. His focus was so on the picture that he lost his train of thought on his tie and ended up getting his finger caught up in it.

"Double fuck!" he cursed again. He yanked it out, nearly chocking himself in the process. "I'll just get my secretary to handle you." Mr. Goodman told his tie. It wouldn't be the first time she had to fix it. With that in mind, Mr. Goodman left his house and headed on to work.

When he arrived his sectary tried not to laugh but he was a funny sight to see. One would think a grown man would know how to do this by now? "Bad morning?" she asked him as she helped him at.

"When isn't?" he returned with a small smile. "Well, what do you have for me?"

She gave him a few names and numbers to call. He took care of that. Before he knew it was lunch time all ready. If his sectary hadn't reminded him of that, he would've gone without eating. "Do you want the regular Chinese?" she asked him.

"Nah, I'm going to go see if Dan wants to have lunch together."

She nodded and walked him to the door. "I'll be back in about an hour. Hold all my calls." Henry instructed her.

"Will do boss." she promised.

Dan was more than happy to join Henry at lunch. "How are you dad?" Henry teased once they were seated.

Dan laughed. "Good. You?"

"Good." Henry lied but he knew Dan was lying too.

"Funny because you look like shit." Dan half joked with his son-in-law.

"It's like looking in the mirror." Henry returned. "How's mom?"

No answer.

"How's my daughter?"

No answer.

Staring at Dan was really looking at his own reflection. The only difference was he didn't have to wait ten to fifteen years. He was all ready there.

Nat had left only a year before. There was a note on the door that stated she would be back but she didn't. Still... he held on just like Dan has done all these years because:

_**...A promise,**_

_**A man says forever. **_

_**A man says I'll never regret **_

_**or let you**_

_**The promise I made**_

_**To stay, and I stayed true...**_

END.

**A/N:** If you thought it was Dan at the start then I've done my job. I read a fic awhile back where in it Henry ended up taking Nat's last name because she wouldn't let him change hers. I liked it and thats why it inspired me to call him Mr. Goodman instead. However, I tried to leave clues along the way. Kudos to guess right!


End file.
